TFred
Regular Member
Yes, this is off topic. Anybody know Portsmouth Sheriff Bill Watson? The four Circuit Court judges have ordered him to remove an American flag-based work of art from the lobby of the courthouse. Someone needs to let the Sheriff know that the judges may have exceeded their authority with this order.
The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled in THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LEE COUNTY v. EDGAR BACON, COMMISSIONER OF ACCOUNTS OF LEE COUNTY that the "courthouse", and with it, the authority of the judges to dictate rules and policy, only applies to that part of a building that is actually used for the purpose of the court.
From the opinion: "Only that portion of building appointed for use of circuit court constitutes courthouse."
If the Portsmouth courthouse has any other offices or functions in that building, then the lobby is common area, and not "appointed for the use of the court", and the judges would have no more authority to control the art-work on display there than they would in any other city-owned building.
If anyone knows the Sheriff, he might want to take a look at this.
Read the opinion here.
Read the news coverage of the controversy here.
TFred
The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled in THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LEE COUNTY v. EDGAR BACON, COMMISSIONER OF ACCOUNTS OF LEE COUNTY that the "courthouse", and with it, the authority of the judges to dictate rules and policy, only applies to that part of a building that is actually used for the purpose of the court.
From the opinion: "Only that portion of building appointed for use of circuit court constitutes courthouse."
If the Portsmouth courthouse has any other offices or functions in that building, then the lobby is common area, and not "appointed for the use of the court", and the judges would have no more authority to control the art-work on display there than they would in any other city-owned building.
If anyone knows the Sheriff, he might want to take a look at this.
Read the opinion here.
Read the news coverage of the controversy here.
TFred